Paul Mueller

Grateful and humbled

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived

forwards.”

Søren Kierkegaard

BiographyHow my mother would introduce me

• Devoted son; 5th of 6 children

• Married to Nancy; three children (Luke, Kirsten and Mark)

• Regional Vice President, Mayo Clinic Health System

• Past Chair, General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic

• Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics, Mayo

Medical School (teacher and researcher)

• Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the

Hastings Center

• Associate Editor, New England Journal of Medicine

Journal Watch (writer)

RealityMy friend’s mother: “And that Paul Mueller, he’s no angel”

• I think I was named “Paul” for a reason

• “…sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1Tim 1:15)

• Flawed and biased; I make mistakes

• Working on it

• I am a better person because of my

partner, children, friends and colleagues

• I am a better doctor because I work at

Mayo Clinic

• Some gifts and preparation, but mostly

good fortune

• I don’t pray often, but recognize God’s

hand in my life

Growing up

• Winona: amazing natural setting

• School: wonderful teachers

• I wanted to be both a doctor and a

plant biologist

• Bullying victim for several years

• Delivered newspapers for 4 years

• Started science fair in 7th grade

• Started running in 7th grade

• Hung out with nerds and athletes

• Listened to Z-93

• Became an orderly after 11th grade

• Class of 1980

AugsburgDrawn to Minneapolis

• Challenged and worked hard

• Chemistry major (“pre-med”)

• Added an English minor (first paper: an “F”—a transformative moment)

• Orderly at Saint Mary’s Hospital

• Student senator; Jill Billings was president

• Met my life partner, Nancy• Physics tutor

• Initially I was interested, she was not

• First date was more than a year later

• Most important person in my life

BaltimoreJohns Hopkins School of Medicine (1984-1988)

• First year: told to “try harder”

• Second year: Nancy moved to Baltimore for graduate

school (aerospace engineering) at the University of

Maryland

• Third year: Nancy and I were married

• Graduated without knowing what I wanted to do

• Gradually awakened to issues such as urban decay, poverty and

racial disparities

• HIV epidemic emerged

• Violence and crack cocaine overwhelmed Baltimore

• Advised to consider a year studying public health

• After receiving her master’s degree, Nancy worked for the Navy in

Washington, DC

BaltimorePublic health (1988-1989)

• “Road to Damascus” moment

• Amazing curriculum and classmates

• Learned knowledge and skills that I still

use today

• World events (Tiananmen Square, Berlin

Wall, apartheid, etc.)

• I came to appreciate how blessed we are

• Shift in world view

• No longer “about me”

• Emerging interest in biomedical ethics

• I got a call from Dr. Stobo

BaltimoreResidency, chief residency and first years of practice (1989-1995)

• Grueling internal medicine residency program

• Chief resident year

• >1,500 inpatients of whom more than half had AIDS

• Daunting social issues

• Worked for 3 years where HBO’s The Wire was filmed

• Luke and Kirsten were born

• By 1995, change beckoned: odd “fit” as a general internist

at Johns Hopkins; sense of not making a difference; Luke

was approaching kindergarten

• Paged to a “507” number while giving a lecture to

residents on sterile pyuria

Rochester

• Moved to Rochester during July 1995 and Mark was born

shortly thereafter

• All three of our children graduated from Mayo High School

• Nancy taught physics and chemistry at MHS

• I taught medical students, residents, fellows and doctors

in practice

• Interviewing and physical examination skills, hospital medicine

ward rounds and biomedical ethics

• Chair of General Internal Medicine for 9 years

• Executive Health, International Health, Women’s Health, Breast

Clinic and other sections

• One patient launched my career in biomedical ethics

©2011 MFMER | slide-18

La Crosse

• Early 2018• Winding down as GIM chair

• Stopped by an elevator to tie my shoes and Dr. Williams walked out (“Do you have a minute?)

• Visited La Crosse a following Sunday afternoon

• Impressive people including MCHS leadership, especially Dr. Gostout

• Began October 1, 2018• The Joint Commission arrived the

same day

• Observations after 1 year

InfluencersMy dad, Everett Mueller

Importance of a

spiritual life, vocation,

the right partner, and

community service.

InfluencersMy father in-law, Pastor Roger Mackey

Courage in the face of

opposition and criticism;

integrity; it’s about love.

InfluencersCoach Jim Flim

Believe in yourself and achieve your

potential; “mental toughness”.

InfluencersProfessor John Holum

Faith and reason are

not incompatible.

InfluencersDr. David Hellmann

Best doctor I know;

incredible role

model and

exemplar of

equanimity.

InfluencersSir Donald Irvine

Advocated for disclosure of patient

care quality, safety and

professionalism data. Criticized by

his peers, he was ultimately

knighted for his work. Dashing.

InfluencersHis Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

We are one race—the

human race. Focusing on

our differences will

inevitably lead to conflict.

Compassion is the

solution.

InfluencersLuke, Kirsten and Mark

InfluencersMy wife, Nancy

PassionsIn addition to family, vocation, etc.

• Friends

• Walking and hiking

• Genealogy

• Reading, especially science fiction

• Live Shakespeare

• Dogs

• Fishing

• Skiing

• Travel

• Plants

• Higher education

• Diversity and inclusion

• Making our communities better

• I am a believer

I have a quirky sense of humor

Other factoids

• I don’t sleep much, but every

now and then I enjoy a very

long nap

• I watch sports

• Twins, Timberwolves, Lynx,

Wild, Gophers…Vikings

• You may see me picking up

trash along US 14/61 by

Pettibone Park

• I am a grandfather

Future of medicineMajor changes happening; our region will be not be spared

• Shift away from bricks and mortar; smaller, more nimble

facilities

• Novel, inexpensive and convenient screening and

diagnostic tests

• Less invasive, more effective treatments

• Outpatient hips and knees; off-pump (beating heart) cardiac

bypass, proton beam, etc.

• Individualized medicine

• Artificial intelligence

• Virtual care

• Right diagnosis and care anytime and anywhere

• “The patient will see you now”

Why I am a Rotarian

Grateful and humbledLive long and prosper!